Many devices depend on accurately known orientation for proper function or proper executions of desired measurement procedures. Frequently, those anisotropic devices internalize an intrinsic system of preferable directions which may define an internal coordinate system. The usage of the anisotropic devices may critically depend on accurate preferred orientation of the internal coordinate system relative to some external components of interest and stable support of the anisotropic devices in the preferred orientation. Also, long term stability and reproducibility of desired orientations are frequently necessary for particular applications. It is in accordance with engineering and scientific practice to provide such anisotropic devices with supporting mounting structures which can define the preferred orientations and stably support the anisotropic devices in the desired orientations such that the desired orientations do not drift in time or can be changed and/or reestablished with relative ease and accuracy.
The anisotropic devices and parts in accordance with the present invention include, but are not limited to, optical components like mirrors and mirror assemblies, diffuse reflectors, lances and lens assemblies, polarizers, beam splitters, filters (including interference filters), prisms, diffraction gratings, echelons, phase plates, frequency converters, light amplifiers, lasers (including fiber optic lasers and laser diodes), light and microwave sources, light emitting diodes (including organic light emitting diodes), Q-switches, Bragg and Pockels cells, light detectors (including photocells, photocathodes, photodiodes, avalanche photodiodes, photomultipliers, microchannel plates, image amplifiers, charge coupling detectors, scintillation detectors, Cherenkov detectors, etc.), and objectives (including wide angle, telephoto, zoom, Barlow lenses, etc.)
Similarly, various acoustic devices such as directional sound detectors (microphones), sound sources (speakers and acoustic oscillators), as well as parts of noise detector systems and sonar systems, exhibit inherent anisotropies and need to be oriented and supported to face preferred space angles in order to perform desirable emitting or receiving functions.
Also, it should be noted that anisotropic devices and parts in the fields of electronics, particle and wave beams generation and applications, or surfaces modifications, frequently need to be oriented and stabilized to face predetermined space angles, and therefore, may utilize directionally adjustable mounts and methods in accordance to the present invention.
It is customary in the art of adjustable mounting assemblies to design the mounting assembly comprised of two principle subassemblies. One supporting subassembly may be customarily arranged to provide solid attachment to underlying structures (for example, optical tables or optical benches), while another actuating subassembly may be arranged to adjustably engage the supporting subassembly and to orient and stabilize at least one anisotropic device such that the at least one anisotropic device is oriented to face a desired space angle. It is broadly accepted in the field of adjustable mounting devices to indicate those subassemblies as plates, although it may not be necessary for the plate to have a general form incorporating substantially planar parallel surfaces.
For the purpose of the current inventions the above subassemblies are indicated as a second plate and a first plate respectfully. The first plate and the second plate of the current invention each include at least two distinct surfaces which may not necessarily be planar (i.e. may be three-dimensional, but at least one surface of each plate may have a geometry allowing for definitions of at least one 3D distinct coordinate system for each plate having axes whose specification in a laboratory coordinate system uniquely defines an orientation of the supported anisotropic device allowing it to face a predetermined space angle.)